


Clemency

by Wayofheron



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love/Hate, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-17 00:17:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14176467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wayofheron/pseuds/Wayofheron
Summary: Bonnie is in the 1994 Prison World, after having sent Damon back to present day, she's stuck with the sociopath named Kai Parker who's goal is convince Bonnie that he can change with an act of forgiveness by Bonnie's hand, and she isn't so keen on letting that happen. Kai has forever and a lifetime to convince her.





	1. Chapter 1

Pain. It was the only thought that Bonnie could fathom upon coming to. A dull throbbing that further dragged her to consciousness with every breath she took. Slowly she was able to place exactly where the pain had been, hands trailing down her front, until the pads of her fingers found her abdomen. Her touch was light, cautious almost. For a beat, she hadn’t remembered what happened, let alone how she got hurt in the first place. As if by mere touch once her palms rested flat against her shirt, her eyes flew open, memories playing before her like a slideshow of what had happened. 

She and Damon were in a cave, with the Eclipse overhead, readying themselves to be free of 1994’s constant loop and the Sociopath that lay dormant there. Bonnie had killed Kai, after recently realizing that he held no true significance when it came to their escape; and all that they needed had been the ascendant. Just as the spell began to leave her lips she was thrown back with a tremendous force; shot with a bolt from Kai’s crossbow. She recalled the warmth of her own blood on her hands where the arrow protruded from her stomach, and the confusion of seeing him alive. Grunts and the sound of struggle coincided with the ringing in her ears, and despite the sound barring down on her, Kai’s voice managed to reach through, his explanation of how he had been alive one that she wish she could have kicked herself for. This was a prison world, afterall. Why would they gift him the escape of death? She was seeing double, but able to make out the shapes that were Damon and Kai, fighting for the ascendant that she had dropped. She thoroughly remembered being surprised by the fact that Kai had began to overpower Damon, the tip of an arrow from his crossbow at Damon’s heart while he fought with every attempt to keep Kai  away. She was able to crawl; no, drag herself through the dirt and rubble to the ascendant, to continue the spell, to which upon grabbing Damon’s attention and--with a swift  _ Motus _ that yanked Kai from Damon’s person like a rag doll--sent him home without her. Leaving her in 1994 with a broken ascendant as the remainder of the blinding light that swept Damon from this world. Bonnie was now left without a way out, and alone, with Kai Parker. A pained smile met her lips; a smile of defeat. Kai’s roar of pure anger and the blurred shape of his person storming towards her was all she could see before passing out.

She was so sure she had died. So sure that that was the end of her. That at least, she was able to get Damon out, and despite how dark the thought was, she was gone and wouldn’t have to spend an eternity with Kai.. But she was wrong. Taking in her surroundings she found herself in the living room of the Salvatore Boarding House. The flickering of the fire place and the light snapping of wood due to the flames eating away at it had caught her attention, its embers rising high into the chimney and its warmth causing her face to flush. There was a stillness in the house, that despite whatever peaceful aura the fireplace was trying to give off, only managed to make it more eerie. Bonnie had come to and fro of this Boarding house hundreds of times. It wasn’t the place itself; but the secondary guest who was nowhere to be seen that scared her. She had to get out of here, and immediately. She hadn’t the slightest clue on how she was still alive until she moved to sit up too abruptly, and a jolt of pain was sent from her abdomen and all throughout her system, a hiss leaving her lips. Looking down at her stomach, she moved to pull the white blouse up that brandished her dried blood from her current wound, revealing her firmly bandaged abdomen beneath. Kai saved her, but why? What reason would he need her for? Bonnie was fully aware that the eclipse would return, but without an ascendant there would be no way out. It was now broken, destroyed. What more of a reason would he need her alive?

“Ah-ah-ah! No sudden movements, Bon. Don’t undo my handiwork now. You’ll split those stitches right open.” A familiar voice rang through of concern, jolting Bonnie from where she sat.  Kai rounded the corner from the kitchen, a plate of something in hand that she couldn’t quite make out and a glass of water. He seemed upbeat from her point of view, his lips folded while some unknown tune left his lips in a hum. She had noticed his change of clothing; a blue T-shirt overlapping a white thermal of sorts that too was overlapped with a blue-gray button down that remained open. Black shorts and converse sneakers finished the 90’s get up.

“How do you feel?” Kai asked, placing the food down upon the low table that divided the living room into two halves, separating the couches. He brought himself to sit down just across from her, leaning forward to look at her with concern written across his face. He was a good actor, she’d give him that. Despite the facial expression he withheld his eyes told another story. Nonchalance reflected back into them. They were bright blue, gunmetal eyes, to which they left little to no space for emotion, let alone unease.

Bonnie adjusted herself so that one of the pillows behind her allowed her to sit more so upright. Her eyes had briefly trained on the familiar teddy bear that rested along the armrest in front of her.

“Miss Cuddles and I were worried,” Kai said softly, cocking his head off to the side to expose a slight crooked grin that ghosted across his lips. Bonnie shot him a hard glare, one of her hands grasping carefully at the wound Kai had inflicted, as if to remind him if he had forgotten.

“Like you shot me with an  _ arrow _ .” She answered his previous question, seething. This carefree nonchalant state of Kai’s put a bad taste in her mouth, and the thought of being around him much longer? She couldn’t stand. Using that as her motivation to push through the constant stabbing pains that erupted from her wound as she brought herself to stand turning her back to him. Kai remained seated, as if he were unaffected by her actions. As if any attempt she made to get away would be futile, maybe? If anything, he seemed upset over the fact that he had made her a plate of food; a grilled cheese with a side of chips that was now getting cold.

Kai clicked his tongue off the roof of his mouth. “Not even a thanks for the meal I prepared? Sheesh, have you all lost your manners in present day? That’s fine. If anything the food was meant for me to coax you into helping me fix this ascendant. You see, I have absolutely  _ no  _ idea how you managed to disassemble this thing into a million pieces, but I need help putting it back together. Wanna’ help?” 

Bonnie’s eyes fixated upon the scattered pieces of the ascendant in shock. Fix the ascendant? After the damage that the spell caused, it was still usable? Had that truly been the case, in what right mind did Kai think Bonnie would actually help him reach his goal, after everything he’d done? She began to think his eighteen years in this box had truly corrupted his thinking.

Bonnie looked about the room cautiously as to not draw attention to herself, looking for the keys to Damon’s blue Camaro to make a break for it, something she hadn’t immediately seen until she turned to face Kai again. There they rested just along the wooden table behind the couch she had previously woken up on. She tried to make her sudden findings of it quiet, immediately looking away from the keys and towards Kai. His eyeline had visibly dropped to where she was just looking.  _ Fuck _ , she thought. She attempted to deter her findings with a conversation.

“Why..” She paused for a moment, before starting again. “Would I help you? You’re a psychopath. This is your Hell, I’d rather die before helping you get out of it. If that  _ thing _ is broken, let it stay broken. World’s a better place without one less crazy man-child.” Bonnie’s tone was cold, and she hoped it bit like frostbite.. But Kai merely looked at her, searching her eyes from afar as if for an answer. Eventually his gaze tore from hers, looking off to the side and wetting his lips, bringing himself to stand with the support of his hands pushing off the couch.

“You’ve been around Damon too long. You’re starting to sound like him.” Kai teased, rolling his eyes as he began to close the distance between the two of them, causing Bonnie’s body to go rigid almost immediately. He must have sensed her change in body language, however; because his lips parted, the corners of them curling up into a charming smile. He was now a mere few inches from her face, so close that she could feel his cool breath against her skin. His height highly surpassing her own petite stature; though Bonnie was never one to back down. She jutted her chin up at him in challenge, whereas Kai’s hand came down flat upon the keys that Bonnie had previously considered taking as her get away. So much for that idea. Her eyes had flickered down to his hand before returning to those coin gray hues of his, causing a chuckle to vibrate from his chest.

“You’ve been through alot, I know. Boo-hoo, right? But I think you’re under the impression that: You actually have a choice in the matter. Isn’t that funny?” Kai briefly looked away to glance down at his hand, now grabbing the keys before casually dropping them into the breast pocket of his blue button down with a dramatic ‘thud’. 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Bonnie.” He said, again, to which Bonnie found hard to believe, despite the sudden serious tone in his voice. “But I will do what I need to do to get out of here. So if that requires  me doing  _ this _ ,” Kai suddenly placed a vice grip on Bonnie’s wrist, the unfortunate yet familiar pain of siphoning beginning. First the heat, and the red glow that danced off his fingers had her feeling as if her very life force were being sucked away; like the leech Kai was. Her magic, her essence; draining, pulling at her very being. A cry of pain erupted from her, one she tried to suppress, unawaringly haunching forward so that the side of her face just barely brushed against his chest. She could feel his warmth, or maybe she had mistaken it for the burn running rampant beneath her skin from her magic being stolen from her. She could barely process the words that left his lips, which were so very close to her ear.

“Then I’ll go to whatever lengths it takes for me to go home.” Kai said harshly against her ear, sending a chill down her spine. He abruptly released her hand, causing Bonnie to stumble back a few steps, gripping the wrist he had previously grabbed towards her chest in defense. Exhaustion took her expression, shoulders rising and falling with every shallow breath she took to try and recollect herself. 

“Or, you know. For us  _ both _ to go home. This could be a team effort, Bon. I really don’t get why you’re fighting against me so hard when you barely know much about me,” He paused, glancing off to the side for a moment with a shrug. “Outside of what the news paper reads, of course.”

Bonnie scoffed, shaking her head while she slowly backed herself up until she was leaning against one of the nearby walls of the room. 

“What more would I need know? You murdered your family in cold blood and so they sent you here as a punishment. They were children, Kai. If anything this place is exactly what you deserve. If I let you out, you’re going to continue what you started until you get what you want.” 

Kai was silent for some time, his eyes never leaving her own, though narrowing as if he were scraping at the back of his mind for a question he wanted to ask. He lifted his arms to cross over his chest.

“You ever stop to ask yourself how hypocritical your thinking is?” Kai asked suddenly, making his way back to the couch before he sat down, snagging a chip from the plate he had made for Bonnie, and popping it into his mouth with a crunch. 

Bonnie looked taken back by his question. “Oh really? And how’s that?”

“Is it not that obvious?” Kai asked, dusting his hands off from the chips he previously ate, and proceeding to lean back and into the cushion of the couch, arms bent behind his head to support it further. “For some reason in that cute little head of yours, you’re under the impression that your bloodsucker friends are saints in comparison. Need I remind you; Damon Salvatore? He killed a pregnant woman, and I’m sure he’s done far worse in however many years he’s been alive, alongside placing you and your loved ones in harm's way before too, right?

Bonnie visibly flinched. She was fully aware of the fact that what Kai said was an assumption; but she couldn’t stop the flurry of memories that came rushing by and the truth that followed. Damon had hurt her, several times, whether it be with verbal threats or the times where she could have lost her life because of him. Unfortunately vampires in Mystic Falls were next to normal to her now. The majority of her friends were vampires; the people she grew up with: Vampires. Even worse, killers. It was definitely something that took her awhile to look past and still recognize them as her friends. She had to take into consideration that both Elena and Caroline were turned against their will, or likely unaware. With Caroline, Katherine; and Elena, Damon mistakingly.  So many people in the town of Mystic Falls had lost their lives due to the return of of Stefan, and Damon. She began to think that, perhaps if they had never returned, would her life and the lives of her friends and loved ones had turned out differently. Her Grams would still be alive. Elena’s Aunt Jenna. She had to take into consideration that, if Stefan hadn’t returned, Elena would be dead. Stefan had saved her after all, and while death followed in every step they took, she believed she would never have embraced her magic if not for their bittersweet return. 

It was as if her silence was enough to answer his question, but before he could continue Bonnie had cut in.

“The difference is, Kai? Damon changed. He’s grown out of his old ways. He’s a better per--”

“A better person,” Kai summed up for her, finishing her sentence with a wave of his hand. “So you’re telling me Damon changed, and so you were able to forget all the wrong things he did? And now you two are close. The difference is,  _ Bonnie _ ? You gave him a chance to change. Why not give me one?” Kai suggested.

Bonnie snorted, asking incredulously. “The current injuries I have should suffice as an answer.” 

“And you killed me, I say we’re even. Not to mention the whole betrayal thing.” Kai added, before extending an arm to press an index finger down against the table before him, tapping it lightly with a change of subject. “C’mon, sit down and eat, and after you’re done we can see about fixing the ascendant, hmm?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’ll get a head start in, how’s that sound?” Kai gave a toothy grin and a wink that would probably have other girls at his beck and call, but not Bonnie. She wouldn’t dare let his charms have an effect on her.. But she had to admit that she was hungry; even if she had lied her stomach would speak the truth, feeling it churning and twisting in starvation. She took a cautious step forward, glowering down at the plate. “Am I expecting poison as a main ingredient?” She asked with a sardonic smile that followed.

“Why would I poison it if I need you alive to get us out of here, Bon?” He gave a look of feigned ignorance.

Bonnie didn’t seem convinced, and with a roll of Kai’s eyes, he took half of her sandwich from the plate, gray-blue hues honing in on her mossy green without blinking before taking a bite of the grilled cheese, chewing leisurely. Pressing her tongue into her cheek, Bonnie gave a sigh of defeat that left through her nostrils, bringing herself to slowly sit down carefully across from him, a hand at her abdomen from the dull throbbing of her injury. She eyed him curiously, and just before he could take another bite, she snatched the half he had taken from his hand, taking a bite from it greedily. She could have sworn she saw a second of vulnerability from his eyes; widening briefly with his lips parted, seemingly surprised by her actions before they were masked with a grin. The grilled cheese definitely hit the spot, and she tried her damndest not to allow a groan of satisfaction to leave her, especially while Kai stared at her in hopes of a reaction before going back to his tinkering.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Bonnie made sure to take her time with her meal, purposely picking pieces off the sandwich bit by bit before placing it into her mouth. After all, she had never agreed to helping him fix the ascendant. She remained dead set on the thought of leaving him here, even if that meant they had to split the prison world in half to live peacefully. Maybe peaceful had been the wrong wording. As much as she hated Kai for everything he’d done thus far, the thought of being alone in a place like this would drive her insane. She couldn’t imagine lasting here for even a few months.. Yet Kai remained for eighteen years, and here he was. Bonnie recalled Kai saying that he had killed himself several times before their meeting. The things that could have driven him to do so, she couldn’t imagine. While she couldn’t pinpoint it, somewhere deep in her very core she felt an ounce of pity for him, pity that was quickly swallowed hole every time she reminded herself of why he was here in the first place. 

For the long period that it took for her to eat, Kai made sure not to make a single dull moment of it, filling the silence with ongoing chatter that had no end.

“You know, I never understood why in movies when the cops are chasing the bad guy and they start yelling at the top of their lungs, ‘Hey, stop running!’. Like, do they really think the guy is going to stop dead in his tracks and do as he’s told? He’s the bad guy for a reason--”

“Do you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?” Bonnie said in annoyance, lifting one of her hands to rub at her temple, obviously tired of his constant banter. She grabbed hold of her glass of water, taking a hearty sip.  Kai turned his lips downward, shaking his head.

“No, not really,” Kai stood, leaving the room for just a split second before returning with a pill bottle, his voice carrying down the hall before he actually returned. “It’s just about the best thing I’ve heard in my eighteen years of being in this hell hole.” Kai shook the bottle with a smile, to which he was gifted with a cold glare from Bonnie in response.

“ _ Relax _ , They’re pain killers. Can read the bottle yourself if you don’t trust me.” He then moved to set the bottle down infront of her, Bonnie’s green hues glancing between Kai and the bottle itself before she picked it up, examining it. 

“What did you mean ‘Just about the best thing you’ve heard in your eighteen years’?” Bonnie asked out of curiosity once her wariness was put to rest about the pills. She’d shaken out two of the capsules, popping them into her mouth and taking a swig of her water to help wash them down. She hoped that they would work quickly, considering how severe the pain had been. Kai’s eyes were on her the entire time; that same piercing stare that had Bonnie fidgeting where she sat.

“As in, your voice is in my top three.” Kai said without missing a beat, an unfamiliar twinge pulling at Bonnie’s chest from his words. “You just beat Courtney Love by a hair. You should be thrilled.”

“Honored.” Bonnie gave a sigh, making quick to dismiss the undercurrent of bashfulness from his words before she continued. “Yeah, she’s still alive actually.”

This seemed to have gained Kai’s attention, looking up from the now partially finished ascendant he had in hand. “Shit, really? Something nice and familiar to come back to once I’m out of here.”

“ _ If _ you get out of here.” Bonnie intercepted, making sure he understood where she stood in all this. Visibly Bonnie saw Kai’s jaw tick, as if he were holding back words he would normally have no issue saying. 

“Speaking of Courtney Love; you ever listen to Nirvana?” Kai asked, shifting as if to clear the air. Bonnie could hear the stiffness in his tone, obvious that he was fending off the slightest itch of anger from her words, despite his threat earlier of doing whatever means necessary to get out of here.

Bonnie had forced herself to move despite the pain she felt, bringing herself to stand and gather the empty plate and glass, heading out of the living room and towards the kitchen. Upon standing she felt a wave of exhaustion that had hit her out of nowhere; rightfully so, considering she found sleep a chore ever since she arrived in this prison world, more so when Kai made his appearance in she and Damon’s life. Making her way into the kitchen, she figured that Kai must have followed behind, because the sound of his dull footsteps trickled behind her.

“No, not really. I was never that big of a fan of Grunge.” She finally answered, a soft yawn leaving her lips.

A loud and dramatic gasp left Kai’s lips, causing Bonnie to whip her head around to look at him; wide-eyed with a hand at his heart. “I’m wounded, Bon. Come on, we got to change that.” Kai said with a pep in his step, moving off towards Damon’s stereo docked with several CD racks on either side of it that rested along the kitchen counter far off to left of the sink where Bonnie stood. Quickly had he gone through the selection until he found one album in particular, popping open the jewel casing and sliding the CD into the Stereo feeder.

Bonnie braced herself and rather her ears for the blaring music to come while she turned on the sink to clean her dishes. She couldn’t help that notice that the tiredness that she felt seemed to quicken, and her actions at the sink began to slow down until she came to a halt.. Why had she felt so sleep-deprived all of a sudden?

 

_ Baby you’re going down in the dark _

_ Show my lonely night has fallen and I don’t have very long _

_ Think I may have broke my boil _

_ Within my face might burn _

_ You’re gonna make it better for a little while _

 

The music, Bonnie could barely hear, as if it were muffled. As if a sudden weight was bearing down on her person, and her eyelids. She was able to pick out the difference in vocal tones, hearing Kai’s voice that seemed to get closer the farther out of tune she felt. Her back was to him and the stereo as well. Something wasn’t right.

“Kai?” Bonnie said desperately, finding it hard to get his name out. Her eyes were half-lidded, hands gripping at the counter to keep herself upright and to fight the oncoming fatigue. 

“What did you..” Her words trailed off, feeling her knees begin to give under her. The loud clash of the plate she had been previously washing hitting the floor startled her, though she hadn’t moved from her position the moment her legs had given out as predicted. She figured she would have been on the ground by now, but a strong force was holding her upright.

One of Kai’s arms had moved securely around her torso, his front flush against her back. She could feel his body heat radiating off and onto her, feel the vibrations of his humming against her ear, his breathing causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on attention.

His voice broke through, his temple brushing in and against her silky brown locks. His voice was husky and low, so low it cracked at times, only for her to hear.“I did say I wouldn’t meddle with your food. Never said a word about the drink.”

Her heart was thrumming in her chest, out of fear, confusion? Both?  It hadn’t taken long for her vision to fail her; blurring. The last thing that she could recall had been Kai sweeping her off her feet with ease before she was wretched back into the darkness she tried so desperately to fight off.

 

_ Baby you’re gonna die someday _

_ See you in your crowded wasted, then you start to fade _

_ That when we start singing faster _

_ I wouldn’t wait so long _

_ Won’t get any easier in the dark _

_ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah _

_ You will, you will, you will. _


	2. Chapter 2

_ A house; one I’ve never seen before. Childrens’ toys littered the front yard alongside tricycles that were on their sides, as if they were just in use before the rider had leaped from them in a hurry. Acres of green surrounded the house, where by the looks of it, had been guarded by thickets of trees in the surrounding area without a neighbor in sight.  _

_ The front door was wide open, and I could have sworn I saw a figure walking through it before he disappeared into the darkness of the house. Tall, wearing a hint of familiarity. _

_ “Mi casa es su casa,” The voice of the male chimed, cutting through the whining cicadas in the nearby trees. Where had I heard this voice before? It sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.  _

_ Things blurred from then on, until the haze cleared and brief flashes fluttered before my vision; blood along the railings of a staircase, decorating the walls and windows. It all looked so freshly done, as if only by a few hours that stretched to a mere couple of days. _

_ “My magic is gone, Kai.” I heard my voice leave me suddenly, whereas now I was sitting in what looked like a kitchen, at the table where the person from before had been just a few feet away. A moment of clarity hit me when I realized who the voice had been from before; it was Kai. _

_ “Which means we will be stuck here, forever. Why don’t we just divide the world in half and go our separate ways?” I reasoned, as if by chance it would waver Kai’s need to leave this place. A joke that was. _

_ “Look, I get it. I knocked you out, brought you here against your will. You’re upset. Can’t you see I’m trying to apologize?” Narrowing his eyes he gave a tilt of his head, the obvious indent of his tongue rolling against his inner cheek causing his lips to purse. _

_ I looked at him as if he’d lost a few loose screws while he was stuck in this prison world. As if an apology would suffice for all that he had done. “I will never trust you, or like you or enjoy company for so much as one second, so quit trying. Just let me leave here; unharmed.” _

_ The silence that followed was unnerving. Like a beating heart being ripped from someone’s chest; one second beating, the next silent and still. Kai’s eyeline tore from mine to the wall adjacent from the kitchen table. Vexation took his visage, the slightest tick of his jaw jutting out from his face as if he were holding back something. _

_ Things shift. I’m outside -- we’re outside; both Kai and I, surrounded by all the acres of green like once before. His back was to me, making a beeline for a tree stump  just off to the side of the home.  _

_ Kai  turns to me, hand shifting through a mixture of rotten leaves and twigs only to pull out a large hunting knife. I felt panic rise within me; panic I tried to block from reflecting back onto my face.  Kai however looked relaxed. He didn’t say a word, he merely turned the blade by its handle in one hand, those cold gray eyes lifting from the object to fixate on me. He fashioned a sinister smile before his eyes shut, that red glow that reminded her of a burning fire lapping at his palm emerged. He began to siphon the knife to my surprise. How could there be magic in it? It didn’t make sense. Had it been here all along? A look of pure ecstasy took his expression, lips parting for a sigh content. When he looked at me again, his eyes were different. As if he had had a revelation. He’d known something I hadn’t. As he slowly made his way into my direction, the urge to flee tugged at the back of my mind, but another part of me told me to stand my ground despite how roughly my heart drummed against my sternum.  _

_ “I don’t need you anymore. All I need.. Is--” His voice was cut short, the tail-end of his sentence becoming silenced. His lips moved and formed words she couldn’t interpret. Before I could ask what he had meant, I felt his unforgetful grip on my arm just as the knife that he held was thrusted into my stomach. _

**X-X-X**

Bonnie wakes with a gasp, shooting upright with her hands plastered to her midsection. A rush of fear tingled down her spine as she moved to frantically pull her shirt up, only to see her bandaged abdomen as before and intact. ‘ _ A dream, _ ’ she processed in her head, even though her heart hadn’t calmed from the scare. However the dream wasn’t what she could focus on at this very moment. It hadn’t taken her long to take in her surroundings, eyes darting across the circular like space that she immediately recognized. It had been the cave; dark and cold as before, the idle sound of water dripping filling the silence to mix with her uneven breathing. How had she gotten here? The last she had recalled, she had been in the Salvatore Boarding house with Kai.

.. Kai.

Kai had spiked her drink with something potent enough to knock her out. For how long, she wasn’t sure. Her memory was hazy, only recalling the muffled music, Kai’s arms around her, and feeling weightless for a beat before she was gone.

“Rise and shine,” A voice broke through the silence. Bonnie’s head whipped in the direction of the sound of origin. A silhouetted figure stepped into view before he was backlit by the only ray of light that shined down from above into the cave. Tilting his head up brought his face into view. It was Kai ofcourse, one strap of a book bag he sported hanging off his shoulder loosely.

“You slept a lot longer than I thought you would. Guess those sleeping pills were more powerful than I anticipated.” He beamed, allowing his backpack to slide off his shoulder and hit the ground with a thud. Kai leaned down onto one knee, unzipping his bag and began to rifle through its contents. With determination Bonnie brought herself to stand, using the cold and jagged wall behind her as a support to stand. The thought of being at a disadvantage from Kai even if that involved sitting hadn’t sat right with her. She felt the rough grooves of the wall dig into her palm as she held onto it, wincing. To her surprise, her previous wound caused her little to no pain; but that hadn’t not made her aware of the fact that she still had a hole in her stomach.

“So you patch me up only to put me in harms way again? You could have killed me, Kai! I could have overdosed, then how would you get out of here?”

“I’ve killed myself plenty times before, Bonnie. You don’t think I know how big of a dosage can kill and what can’t? I’ve perfected that.” Kai scoffed as if offended, finding whatever he had been looking for in his backpack. The rounded object in hand had been the ascendant, intact as if it never took damages in the first place. He held it up for her to view, shaking it lightly.

“I’m flattered to know that you care so much about my leaving though, Bon. Looks like we’re taking small steps in the right direction. Lucky for you though, we’re both here and the eclipse should be starting,” Kai glanced down at the watch on his wrist. “In just a few minutes.”

Bonnie looked perplexed. How could the sun be eclipsing already? Had she been out for longer than she thought? Now that she had thought about it, when she first woke at the Salvatore boarding house she had never asked how long she was out for, considering the only thought that  was on her mind at the time was getting as far away from Kai as possible.

“When you passed out--” Kai paused, before continuing again. “The first time? You were out like a light for a couple of days. From the blood loss, of course. Actually the blood might still be over there somewhere..” He angled his head off and into the direction to where he assumed it had been, a look of feigned curiosity taking his features.

She had lost time. Even if it had only been a mere couple of days, it mattered. Damon was gone for two days now. He was back in the present, reuniting with Elena and his brother Stefan. She suddenly began to wonder what they were up to-- What Jeremy was up to. She had missed Jeremy so much. Their departing hadn’t been the smoothest. She had lied,  and that after all there was no way to reverse the fact that she had been the anchor to the otherside. She hadn’t told him her plans of never coming back, that through the several people who had passed through her would ultimately kill her. She couldn’t imagine how he was dealing with her death, and despite knowing the truth before Jeremy ever had, she appreciated the days that they were together, even if she knew that eventually it would have all come to an end.

With some of her strength regained, Bonnie brought herself to push off from the wall, taking a cautious step towards Kai in such a manner to keep her distance as well. The cave was dark, and the exit was blocked by Kai who watched her with the eyes of a predator stalking its prey. He looked as if he could read her mind; or that he desperately wished he could to guess her every move. He must have assumed she thought about running, because Kai was quick to step into her field of view as she looked past him and to the cave’s exit from before.

“Don’t you want to go home, Bonnie? See your friends, your family? Whoever this ‘Elena’ character is that everyone seems so bent out of shape about. What was the guys name.. Jerome..  _ Jeremy _ ?”

The sound of his name leaving Kai’s lips had bile rising within her. Bonnie’s gaze shot up to meet his own. Her gaze was poisonous.

“You keep his name out of your filthy mouth.” Bonnie seethed, feeling an anger rise within her that seemed to accumulate almost instantly. Kai must have known he’d hit a sensitive spot, because he kept picking at it like a scab that was trying to heal.

“Ooh..” Kai trailed, pursing his lips to further define the sound. “Did I hit a trigger? I wonder what Jeremy is doing right now. I wonder if he thinks you’re dead still; because you and I both know that Damon most likely only cares about himself. Probably hasn’t told poor Jer that he left you here, alone.” Kai took a few steps in her direction, the sound of gravel crunching beneath his sneakers could be heard. Soon after he lifted a hand to press the pads of his fingers against his chests, gesturing to himself. “With me. But you see, there’s a good side to this. I have the ascendant,  _ you  _ have your magic and the spell. We could be out of here in a heartbeat.” His gaze shifted away from her and over his shoulder to glance up through the circular opening in the cave’s ceiling where light from the outside spilled in. The eclipse would begin any minute now. From the way the light shined on his face Bonnie could see his well-defined jawline tick in irritation that he was obviously trying so hard to hide. However he flashed a grimace once his eyes found hers again, a heavy exhale leaving his nostrils, shoulders dropping to expel whatever built up anger within him.

“Bonnie,” Kai’s voice was different now, and for a brief moment it had snapped her out of her previous fit of indignation. It was  a tone she’d never heard from him, one she wanted to pinpoint as desperation.

“We could be out of here, Bonnie. Right now. Don’t you want to go home? Aren’t you tired of putting others interest above your own? I’ve heard the conversations that you’ve had with Damon while he was here-- How you’ve lost so much for the so called people you call ‘friends’ out there. You died trying to bring them all back. Don’t you think it’s time to put yourself, first?”

Bonnie wasn’t a fan of being proved wrong; especially by Kai Parker. She didn’t like that despite having the tendency of acting like a child he also had the capability of acting mature, given the situation. He was right, something she would never outwardly admit out of fear of boosting his already huge ego. Bonnie was always one to place herself on the back burner when it came to the ones she loved. She would willingly sacrifice her life in a heartbeat if it meant their happiness and safety. She was her friends go-to no matter the situation; dire or not. Rarely had Bonnie ever been one to consider her own needs or wants, and so she was always more than likely dealt the short end of the stick.

However the urgency in Kai’s voice had swayed her thoughts and whatever persuasion he may have had on her, even if it were just for a moment. It was wiped clean, because now she could see clearly by his body language; how his hands were at his sides in fists, holding the ascendant in one so tightly it dared to break the skin. How stiffly Kai stood.

“Let me tell you what I think,” Bonnie finally responded after several moments of silence, beginning to pace the space between them.

“You’re right. I do want to get out of here. I want to get out of here  _ badly _ , Kai. Thing is, I don’t think you realize how selfish you sound. You’re a sociopath. You know this, I know this. You don’t care about my leaving, or my well being.” Bonnie took a step towards him daringly, where as upon her movements Kai’s hands began to flex at his sides, closing into a fist and opening again. While Kai stood just within the circle of light above their heads, Bonnie stopped just before the ring that illuminated the floor around him. His eyes were hard, maddening even. Though gray the flecks of blue hinted within them seemed much brighter than ever.

“So why don’t we just cut the bullshit, and get to the part where you benefit from this. Getting out, terrorizing the rest of your coven and whatever else you need to do to get what you want.” 

Bonnie could see Kai’s nostrils visibly flaring. His once relaxed shoulders built up again with tension. If Kai had magic she could imagine it would be at a frenzy right now, inconspicuous to the eye but the energy would be almost suffocating as if she were being choked If Kai hadn’t needed her as badly as he did, she believed she wouldn’t even be standing here in this moment, jutting her chin up in defiance, undeterred by his controlling and dominant nature.

“You’re feeling looking so self-assured, Bonnie. Why is that?” Kai’s voice cut through, cool and collected. The tone was velvety; incompatible with the way his figure stood. Suddenly his shoulders dropped, and he gave a smile as if he had it all figured out, so much so that it threw Bonnie off guard. Kai took a step towards her; every step taken forward Bonnie took one back; steps that turned into slow yet large strides until Bonnie felt the chilly and uneven wall of the cave behind her. Kai was all about ruining personal space; so much it was like he knew how Bonnie reacted whenever he got too close.

Curiosity overtook Kai’s once agitated features, his grin so wide that although darkness shrouded them both his teeth still managed to glisten white. He was so close that the low hum that rose from his throat rose the softest of gasps to leave her lips. When he spoke again how low was husky, and Bonnie’s heart was sent into a frenzy like before.

“We’ll play it your way, then. I’ve been here for eighteen years, Bonnie. I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry for the way I am; for what  _ they _ did to me. I told you I would do whatever it took for me to get out of here. To get that sweet,  _ sweet _ revenge on dear ol’ dad after everything he put me through. Denying me of my birthright, treating me like a piece of trash. All of that. I don’t regret killing my siblings. I don’t regret anything I did, because I’ve learned to live with myself. I like me.” Kai said softly. Bonnie had turned her head away from him to keep her composure, but that only gave Kai the initiative to cock his head to the side to gain her gaze once more in order to have her full attention. 

“I wanted this to be easy; simple. But you’re making this harder than it needs to be. Its my affairs. I don’t plan on hurting any of your precious friends let alone staying in this miserable town. I don’t get why you care so much about people you don’t even know. I like you, Bonnie.”

Bonnie’s head suddenly whipped into his direction then, those bright mossy-green eyes of hers honing in on his own, eyebrows creased in confusion.

“I wasn’t joking when I said I didn’t want to hurt you. But you’re leaving me no choice.”

Before Bonnie could react she felt Kai’s hands roughly seize her biceps just after he’d placed the ascendant into the back of his pants. Her lips parted, eyes shutting tightly, readying for searing pain to come.

And then, nothing.

Not a pinch of pain, not that familiar tug of her life force being sucked away.

When she opened her eyes again, Kai’s gaze was mixed with a flurry of confusion, and astonishment. His hold on her would release only to return again in a second attempt to siphon her, only to receive the same results.

Kai’s voice rose in a mixture of anger, and tipped off into panic.

“Why can’t I feel anything? Where is your magic?”

Bonnie eyes reflected the same exact look that Kai’s eyes held. Tearing her gaze away she looked down at herself, and soon her hands, Kai’s hold on her temporarily nonexistent as she tried to work through her thoughts. Where had her magic gone? She had had it last when at the boarding house, and now not even a trace of it lingered. Kai siphoning her of her magic wouldn’t have made sense, as he too hadn’t understood where it had gone as well. 

Bonnie lifted her hand, curving it with a flick of her wrist so that her palm faced upwards, digits curled inward in a claw like motion. Kai must not have known what to expect because he had released her, taking a step back before the latin word  _ Motus _ left her lips.

Not a gust of wind, not a brutal force to push him back with.

Absolutely, nothing.

The light that once spilled into the cave from above had slowly began to cover, like a hatch being closed inch by inch until the light as a whole was dispelled and they were left in nothing but a brief moment of darkness.

The eclipse had started again. 

Bonnie looked up to Kai, and for the first time they both shared an agreed look of dread.

“It’s gone.”


	3. Chapter 3

The lost of Bonnie’s magic had put everything at a standstill. Kai’s previous plans to leave were thwarted as the eclipse began to cycle through its phase, the moon obscuring the entirety of the sun that shined overhead, and masking the Earth of its light before revealing it once more. 

With the return of the light although partially lit, Bonnie could see her surroundings more clearly. Kai’s eyeline had drifted off and away once he turned his back to her, taking slow and weary steps until he stood within the circle of light to gaze through the cave’s opening up above. Kai positioned himself at an angle, making his side profile visible from where she had been. His arms had lifted so that his hands could comb through his chestnut-colored locks, only for his digits to lock at the roots once he made his way towards the back of his head. Due to the poor lighting, Bonnie was unable to see that Kai’s hands were white-knuckled, gripping his hair with a might that threatened to pull strands free from his scalp. On the outside looking in, it was obvious that Kai was trying to keep his composure.

“How can your magic be gone,” Kai’s voice broke through the swelling silence, inquiring to no one in particular. A hypothetical question at most, one he himself couldn’t comprehend.

Kai’s tone was much smoother in contrast of his body language, leaving Bonnie baffled as she assumed Kai would have been sent off the rails with anger. If he had been, whatever facade he currently wore worked well.

Although the question was hypothetical, Bonnie in a way wished she could answer it herself. Magic doesn’t just disappear, she thought; unless it’s taken away. There was no reasonable cause; not one that she could currently think of, that is. However with the lost of her magic, it was bittersweet. While her plans were to remain here so that Kai couldn’t leave, it was now set in stone. She would be here, forever.. 

And now that was beginning to sinking in.

She would make sure of one thing, at least. That if her being here were the case, she wouldn’t dare spend an eternity with Kai Parker. Kai no longer had a use for her, so what more of a reason would he have to keep her around? If he were to kill her now, she’d be damned if she would go down without a fight.

With her head held high, she refused to wait a second longer. Bonnie strided past Kai with ease, without a word towards the exit of the cave. She was surprised that he hadn’t grabbed her; made a move to stop her until his voice broke through the silence, bouncing off the walls of the cave with a meager follow up of an echo.

“Where are you going?” Kai asked, his voice sounding void of emotion. 

“I’m leaving.” Bonnie responded from over her shoulder, a gust of wind from outside of the cave rushing through, causing a chill of cold to pass over her. She lifted her arms to hug herself in attempt to shield her body from the cold. Behind her she could hear Kai’s footsteps crunching the gravel as he followed her.

“Where to exactly?” He’d caughten up to her quickly, adjusting the strap of the backpack that he’d brought with him along his shoulder.

“Your guess is better than my own.”

“Yeah? Then we can figure it out together.”

This had Bonnie turn to look at him; searching his face to see if he had even the  _ slightest _ clue in regards to how she felt about his solution. She had to set him straight. This couldn’t go on any longer.

“You’re not coming with me. The eclipse is over, my magic is gone, the ascendant is useless. There is no way out now. So what does that mean? That means we’re stuck here. But there is no way in  _ hell  _ that I’ll allow myself to be stuck here with you.”

Bonnie hadn’t even allowed Kai to respond before she turned upon her heels and continued out of the cave. Outside the sun overhead remained at its highest peak, old boughs of tall pine trees that surrounded Bonnie and Kai stretched up towards the sky while smaller branches extended further out, coated in luscious green pine leaves. Due to their thick covering the sun’s natural rays were scattered, hitting the pine cone-infested forest floor with spotlights here and there. The warble of birds from tree to tree, the distinct smell of rich soil from the earth blanketed with dead and fallen leaves. There was a familiar tug here, Bonnie made a mental note of; one that with her being a witch she felt ever closer to nature than normal. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Bonnie was in a hurry to get away from Kai, she would have probably wandered around the serene forest for awhile longer.

“And what good will being all by your lonesome self serve you, Bonnie?” Kai inquired. She could hear the faint crunch of leaves behind her. He was on her heels, and if there was one thing Kai infiltrated best, it was personal space. 

“Well, for one I’ll be much safer and not have to worry about taking another arrow to the stomach If I hurt your feelings.”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Kai cut in. “ Let’s be clear, you didn’t hurt my feelings. I don’t  _ have  _ feelings. You betrayed me and I merely got my revenge. We’ve already been over this.” Kai said with vague annoyance. “You keep circling around the  _ one _ thing I did. I patched you up, didn’t I?”

Abruptly Bonnie stopped dead in her footsteps, whirling around to face him once more after they walked some distance away from the cave. With Kai being so close behind her Bonnie practically bumped chests with him once she came to an immediate stop. It was like bumping into a brick wall; he was unmoving. At Bonnie’s height, her eyeline started at his broad chest, causing her to have to crane her head up to look at him. The faint smell of sandalwood and.. -- _ was that cinnamon? _ \-- wafted across Bonnie’s nose. She tried not to let the pleasant scent cloud the agitation she currently felt towards him. Kai’s lips were folded in an attempt to hide the amusement on his face, although those harbor grey eyes only exposed how entertained he must have been. 

Bonnie glowered, brows in a tight knot at the center of her forehead in frustration. “I’m glad you find this amusing, Kai. I hope you still find it amusing when It starts to hit you as the day continues to loop over, and over, and  _ over  _ again that any chance you had of leaving? Is gone.”

Slowly but surely the further Bonnie went on, the transition of Kai’s once amused facial expression began to slip away; his lips in a firm line, that jaw tick of his she had come accustomed to making itself present.

For some time neither Bonnie or Kai shared another word. They only stared, eyes flickering from one to the other as if to read what either of them were thinking. Something about his gaze was so infiltrating, as if by one look he knew everything you were hiding despite how hard to tried to keep it away from him. While intimidating, Bonnie found it hard to look away.

But she didn’t have to.

After some time, Kai was the first to break their silence, his eyes cutting away from hers and off into the distance behind her.

“Give me the rest of the night, at least. To look through the Grimoires -- maybe find a solution for the disappearance of your magic. If there’s no way to get it back, I’ll let you go, unharmed.”

An unsettled look rested upon her face. There was absolutely no way that Kai would actually allow her to go without even the slightest of trouble.

“And if there is?” Bonnie grilled him. “And if there is a way for me to suddenly get my magic; then what? We’re back to square one? You trying to get out, us doing this over again?”

“If we do find a ticket to getting your magic back then I’ll leave the choice of my leaving up to you. Perhaps by then your thoughts on me will change.” Kai said with ease, dipping his hands into the pockets of the black shorts he wore.

Bonnie gave him an incredulous look. “You’re lying. And even if you weren’t, you’re wasting your time. I’ll never change my mind about you.”

Kai chuckled, which brought Bonnie’s eyes to narrow. It was although he knew something she hadn’t. “You changed your mind about Damon. I’m willing to take my chances.” Kai said confidently, moving around her to continue back through the coppice and into the direction of the Salvatore home that hadn’t been too far off from here. 

“Take up my offer or don’t,” Kai continued some ways away from her now, his voice picking up in volume so that she could hear him during his trek, even though she was following behind him. “You can either A.; stay the night, find a possible answer and get your magic and be out of this hell-hole by morning or B.; go off on your own and live alone like I did for eighteen years, and explore all the different and fun ways to kick the bucket when you’ve been driven stir crazy by ‘me myself and I’.” Kai explained with feigned enthusiasm. 

This realization brought Bonnie to outwardly flinch. Here was another moment where she hated to admit, but Kai was right. While being stuck here with him was one thing, being stuck here, alone for the many years he had been and then some; she couldn’t imagine. She couldn’t imagine how long it would take her to break. How many years she would last, if she could even last much longer than he had before the thought of suicide came to mind. This had also brought along the question; would she come back as he did, or would her first attempt be swift and quick, and she would no longer be here? She understood the workings of a prison world little to none. 

A chill ran down her spine. A strike of fear, perhaps?  Bonnie had died before. Each time was cold, unwelcoming. Lonely. She didn’t want to face that again. 

She wanted to live; and so she had to swallow her pride.

“One night.” Bonnie said suddenly, causing Kai to stop. He looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing while his gaze raked her person, lips slightly parted.

“One night. If a solution is found, I’m gone. And if it isn’t? I’m still gone. As long as I’m freed from you, either way. I’d rather deal with the solitude.” She said harshly, despite her previous thoughts. Albeit she was sure her words had no effect on him, seeing as Kai flashed a cheshire grin in her direction before he started up again, reaching one of his hands out towards the base of one of the many trees in the surrounding area. With enough momentum Kai sent himself spinning around the tree, keeping himself leveled to the earth beneath him while weaving between tree to tree like some child. At one of his last turns he faced her, flashing his pearly whites.

“One night is all I need.” Kai winked.

With an exasperated sigh leaving Bonnie and a hint of unease from his response, she and Kai made their way back to the Salvatore establishment, with the sun overhead, and the afternoon settling in.


	4. Chapter 4

Arriving at the Salvatore boarding house seemed to take forever and a lifetime. The trip back seemed longer than she remembered; or perhaps it was due to the incessant chatter from Kai every step of the way.

Bonnie’s body ached, to which she hoped she wasn’t getting out of shape but assumed it was from all she had been through the past several days. It was all beginning to take a toll on her physically, and mentally. As a whole she was just tired. In the moment, all she could think about was a much needed hot shower, and rest.

Bonnie made a beeline towards the staircase that bent and angled upwards to the second floor, the light drumming of Kai’s hands against the bannister causing her to turn around and look down at him in question.

“You were out for about five or six hours, want me to whip up a little something something to eat? Minus the whole drink-spiking.”

Bonnie snorted. “You really think I’m going to accept anything you make for me? That’s cute.”

“Oh?” Kai angled his head off to the side slightly, placing one foot on the bottom step to lift himself onto it, the space between Bonnie and Kai faltered little, his eyes flickering with mischievous intent. “You think I’m cute? We’ve only been here for a couple of minutes now and It seems like I’m already making progress.” Kai hummed. “Guess the charms are working.”

Bonnie’s smile turned sour at his play on her words, finding herself taking an absent minded step backwards up the stairs at his small advance.

“Working as good as my magic right now. Speaking of which,” Bonnie quipped, crossing her arms over her chest once she brought her hip to lean into the bannister beside her. “You probably shouldn’t be wasting your time cooking, _Gordon Ramsey_. Your time is limited. You gave yourself one night to try and find an answer to the loss of my magic, and if we’re being technical here? That means tonight, at midnight. Clock’s ticking.” Bonnie tapped at the imaginary watch on her wrist.

Kai pursed his lips, his head dipping down to gaze down at his fiddling hands, picking at his thumb nail with the other. Shortly after he moved to tap at his own wrist, where as he actually wore a watch. A look of pseudo-confusion took his visage.

“You see, the problem with that? I think my watch is busted. You,” Kai gestured to her; in particular to her stomach wound he had inflicted. “Are busted, and honestly Bon if we want to play the technicality game, giving me one night can range to any of these.. _Wonderful_ repeating nights of May 10th, 1994.” One corner of Kai’s lips curled upwards into a crooked grin. “You’ve so generously given me forever to figure out our little scooby-doo mystery here.”

Bonnie hissed through clenched teeth. “Don’t twist the words we agreed on, Kai.”

“Twist? No, they were as clear as day. I’m only playing a game you started.” Kai waited  a beat, before asking. “ By the way, who the hell is Gordon Ramsey?”

Bonnie wouldn’t indulge in this conversation any longer. Regardless of how technical this had become, she stood by her words. She would be gone by the night if no solution was found. Bonnie turned away from him without another word and made her way up the stairs and to the bedroom that she had claimed out of the many in the boarding house.

She couldn’t get to the shower fast enough. Stripping of the clothing she wore once she stepped into the bathroom, she hadn’t realized that even now she still wore the same clothing that was stained with her blood from a few days before. The cream-colored lace tank top, though beautiful before was now stained with old blood that once it hit air; dried and darkened in color.  The grey plaid shirt unbutton overtop shared the same stains as the acid wash jeans she wore-- dust and dirt clutching onto the fabric. She looked at herself in the mirror as one by one she began to shed free an article of clothing, where they pooled at the ground around her feet.

 _God_ , she thought.

She looked horrible, and rightfully so.

Her hair was unkempt, going in every which way direction on her head. Dirt had found its way throughout her her brunette bob, cluttering and causing her hair to clump in more places than others whereas before the short cut perfectly framed her heart shaped face.

Her eyes, a beautiful mossy green though lacked their usual flair in color were now weary to further express how tired she felt.

She began to wonder how the hell Kai even looked at her given how badly she looked.. He was usually one to express his feelings about everything despite how harsh they were. He probably thought she looked like an absolute trash dump.. Probably smelled like one too.

She then began to ask herself why she even cared about what Kai thought. If anything, Kai was the reason she looked this way. Why she was such a mess. Why she had a hole in her stomach. Bonnie believed Kai didn’t care in the slightest. The only thing on his mind had been to get out of this prison world; nothing more and nothing less. However her mind began to wander to other possibilities.

It became apparent to her, that after she removed to the bandage that the surrounding area of the wound was swollen and irritated. Off colored from her skin, darker in shades with hints of purple more so nearest the stitches. For right now, there was no pain. The meds she had taken before were strong and would last her a couple of hours more before she needed them again. She took note that she would have to take care while in the shower.

Upon turning the metallic dial within the shower, thousands of lukewarm to balmy water drops trickled free from the showerhead, tapping against the ceramic floor tiles below. The shower itself was small; and in no way nicer than Damon’s, though it did the job. Steam filled the small bathroom quickly several moments before Bonnie pulled back the shower curtain, stepping in.

The warm water darkened her hair on contact, further trickling down to flourish across every inch of her skin, soaking her entirely. Bonnie turned her face to the water, her hands lifting to flush away the dirt and stress from her face. Beside her, shampoo and soap followed, the scent of lemon grass filling her nostrils as she began to lather herself. Her touch was delicate, careful not to scrub around her wound too hard. Light soap and water to cleanse it as best she could without irritating it further.

Bonnie allowed herself to succumb to her thoughts now. Thoughts that reluctantly, revolved around Kai as before. This prison world served as a population of two, and while Kai acted as a danger to both herself, and the lives of the Coven he’s apart of, Bonnie had to play nice for her own sake. She almost recalled this being simpler when they first met. When she hadn’t known that he killed his family, that he was a psychopath. That outside his mind games, there was a sliver of a moment that Bonnie held the slightest attraction to Kai. He worked fast, getting to her. His smooth talk, his kindness. How he made advances towards her when trying to help her focus her magic on the tracking spell for the ascendant. Overall, he got under skin.

Bonnie began to wonder if it had all been an act. If, the way he acted then, and what he had said not too long ago had been true; that he liked Bonnie, and that he didn’t want to hurt her. Reading Kai wasn’t an easy job, and despite her being a witch with psychic abilities not yet thoroughly explored, his next movements or thoughts were never all that clear. Bonnie just wished she understood or could get the slightest understanding of the man-- boy--  that she shared the same roof with.

Turning the shower nozzle off, Bonnie stepped out of the shower, making quick to grab hold of the towel resting on the towel rack docked to the wall beside the shower itself. Securely wrapping it around her after drying off, Bonnie moved to the mirror to take care of her other hygienic needs.

Bonnie pressed a hand to the mirror, now fogged from the steam that once clouded the bathroom and swiped her hand across it, revealing her face. She looked, and felt better for the most part; however due to the water her once straight-cut bob was now in bundles of natural curls that spilled around her crown, several strands dropping down over her widows peak and resting against her dark eyelashes. For the night she settled to leave her hair in this state. It was much more easier to manage, and took little to no time to fix up.. Not that she _had_ anything to fix up for.

Though it was just a mere few hours after noon, Bonnie was tired, and felt like she could sleep for a decade. Once she had left the bathroom that was attached to the room, she made quick to rummage through her drawers for sleep wear. She and Damon made quick to raid the stores around Mystic Falls during their first few months here. Everything was free and for the taking, and so they figured, why not?

The pair of  pajamas Bonnie had picked out had been simple two- piece Satin graphic print design set. It was black in color, the designs a golden tone that Bonnie personally liked. It reflected nicely against her bronze skin. Not only was it soft, but it glided perfectly against her body in however way she rested or moved so that there was little to no restriction, and all comfort.

Bonnie’s bed beckoned to her, and she wouldn’t dare ignore it’s call any longer.

Just as she moved to shut the curtains so that the bright rays of the afternoon sun could no longer shine through her bedroom, she heard a loud knock on her door. A knock, that had her jolt where she stood. She knew immediately who it was. After all, who else could it be?

Gripping at the opening of the curtains, she turned herself slightly so that she could look at the door, as if she could see him standing there. She could feel his presence.

“Bon? You in there?” Kai’s voice rang through, slightly muffled behind the door. He sounded like he was eating something.

Bonnie’s eyes dropped down to the door knob and the lock in particular, which to her dismay was unlocked. Dropping her shoulders, a deep sigh left her lips, the exhale pushing through her words as she spoke.

“What do you want now?” Bonnie asked, tone void of interest. She made slow movements around her bed, padding barefoot across the the wood floor towards the door.

“Aw, I’m happy to hear your voice too,” Kai quipped, the loud crunch of whatever he was eating passing between the barrier of the door between them. Bonnie assumed it was his favorite snack; pork rinds.

“Tried knocking about thirty minutes ago but I got no answer. Got just a little nervous? Figured you were going to go back on our deal after the little spat we had, so I made my way outside and around the side to check your window. Would have been surprised to see you scaling down the side of the boarding house like a expert Alpinist.”

Kai paused, as if to rethink what he said. “Actually, no I wouldn't be surprised. You’re plucky.”

Bonnie was at the door now, her back resting against the wall beside it with a hand lifted to pinch at the bridge of her nose in annoyance. “Get to the point, maybe?”

“I’m heading out to the store to pick up some last minute things for dinner. Lunch is all wrapped up and ready to go for you in the fridge. Nothin’ special. Just some sandwiches. Can fix your drink if you’d like. Haven’t duped our water supply, promise.”

Bonnie scoffed.

“Anyway, did you want anything from the store in particular while I’m out? Can get you some of that really healthy green stuff I’ve seen you tank through with Damon..”

“Brussel sprouts?” Bonnie shook her head, tilting her it back against the wall. “They’re great for you and they taste awesome.. If you cook them right, anyway.”

“Brussel _what_? You mean like the place?”

“That’s _Brussels_ ,” Bonnie corrected.

Kai made a sound of disgust. “Green bombshells that’ll wreak havoc on your taste buds with their bitter tendencies. Understood.”

Bonnie bit down on her lower lip. As if to bite back the urge to smile. “I don’t want anything, no.”

“I’ll be sure to bring you back something nice. Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.”

Bonnie could hear the creaking of the floor panels beneath his feet as he began to walk away, before it stopped, and his steps grew closer again. “Oh, almost forgot.” The sound of him rifling through something could be heard. “You should probably change the bandages you’ve got there. Clean it, re-wrap so it doesn’t get infected. I’ve got fresh bandages. Open up so I can give it to you?”

Bonnie’s eyeline dropped to sound of  the copper knob turning beside her. With a quick hand she grabbed the knob, stopping it before it fully turned and pressing her hip into the door to keep it shut. Her thumb passed over the lock to click it in place moments after. She felt Kai release the knob seconds later.

“That was a little rude.” Kai murmured.

“So was opening the door before I could let you in.” Bonnie snapped, before glancing down at her toes. “Ever think I was indecent? In the middle of getting dressed?”

“A sight worth seeing, I’m sure.” Kai’s voice lowered an octave, a suggestive hum leaving him that though behind the door vibrated throughout Bonnie. She closed her eyes to clear her thoughts before waving her hand.

“Leave it at the door. I’ll get it once I’m ready.” Bonnie said after a moment of silence, swallowing back the rush of something she didn’t quite want to be so sure of.

“Whatever the lady wants.” Kai said, his voice back to its cheery tone as before. She heard the light thud of the items dropping in front of her door, and the sound of Kai walking away for good this time. His voice though light carried down the hall as he made his way down the stairwell. “Be back in a jiffy!”

Bonnie waited until she heard the revving of Damon’s Camaro outside soften in volume as it careened down the street before opening her door. The boarding house was silent, and at the bottom at her feet were the medical necessities she needed to take care of herself. Scooping them up and closing the door behind her again, she turned to look at her bed, all warm looking and  ready for her to curl up in.

 _Soon_ ; she said herself, as if her bed could hear her. She made quick steps back into the bathroom, glancing down at the clothing she previously wore on the ground in front of the sink. With her foot she carefully kicked it aside, before placing the bandages on the counter. Having previously cleaned the wound during her shower, it took her little to no time to simply place the cotton patch over the damaged area, taping it into place before going back and wrapping the longer bandage that was available around her torso to keep it secure. It wasn’t too tight, but tight enough to keep everything in place.

Bonnie didn’t waste anymore time. She practically ran back to her bedroom, crawling onto the soft comforter of the bed before slipping beneath it. Her bedroom was quite dimmed thanks to the thick dark curtains on the windows hiding the largest light source their was. Dropping her head down limply against the pillow beneath her, a few stray curls of her hair dropped into her vision, before she pushed out a bit of air through pursed lips to send them aside. Beside her the small lamp on the night table remained on. She stared at it, contemplating on whether or not she should keep it on, or not.

Bonnie wasn’t afraid of the dark. Not in the slightest. She was more so afraid of, what could pop out of the darkness. Or who.

It was only be a matter of hours; by her choice, that she would be here. Kai’s time for finding an answer to the disappearance of her magic was limited, and Bonnie made sure that she would sleep away the majority of it. With that, she made the decision to turn off the light. She would hope that in her sleep, she would receive another premonition. One that would explain the one she had several hours before. She needed to know where that magic was. And if there was a possibility? That she could find her way there to get it, and get the hell out of this place once and for all.

Sleep soon took her, the weight of her eyelids finally succeeding before she was pulled into a deep, much needed sleep.

 


End file.
